Bill Brenner

The Future Of THE OCD DIARIES

by Bill Brenner February 20, 2012 Adventures in writing

After lots of feedback, I’ve decided to change this blog rather than kill it. Erin is going to be my partner in crime in this endeavor. She’s my soul mate and has lived through much of what I’ve written about, so it makes perfect sense. We’re in the brainstorming stages, but here are some ideas we’re kicking around. Mood music: http://youtu.be/pAzyeA9-ib8 I kicked around the idea of changing the name, but most of you have…  [Read More]

Chain Smoking In Bickford’s Was The Best

by Bill Brenner February 17, 2012 Addiction

Though I no longer smoke or eat the kind of food they served, I’m feeling nostalgic about the days of old when you could sit in any of the dim, dank coffee shops in the local Bickford’s chain for hours, hanging out, chain smoking and drinking those awful, bottomless cups of black coffee. I blame The Doors for this trip down memory lane. I’ve been listening to their first album this morning and when “Soul…  [Read More]

In Marriage, Communication Gets Tougher As You Get Older

by Bill Brenner February 16, 2012 Communication Skills

I’ve never been good at the Valentine’s Day thing. Maybe I’m fulfilling the male stereotype, or maybe it’s because I feel more pressure to express myself. I do fine with written words. In person is another thing. When the holiday passed I Iet out a big exhale. Mood music: The fact of the matter is that I have a lot of love in my heart right now. I don’t need a holiday to feel it, though Valentine’s…  [Read More]

New Facebook Page: ‘Justice For Jessica Cormier’

by Bill Brenner February 15, 2012 Uncategorized

Early last month I wrote about Jessica Cormier, a young woman who worked for my father and stepmother and was murdered Jan. 3 not long after leaving Brenner’s for the day. Mood music: Last night I got a message that a new Facebook page has been set up in her honor called “Justice for Jessica Cormier.” Pages like this are good for keeping caught up on investigations and other developments. It’s also a good place…  [Read More]

Thanks, #RSAC, For Not Putting Us In The Dog House This Valentine’s Day

by Bill Brenner February 14, 2012 Adventures in writing

I couldn’t let this day go by without a little thank you to the organizers of the annual RSA Conference. Almost every year, they start the event on Valentine’s Day, which puts those of us with significant others in the dog house. Mood music: No one wants to be away from their loved ones on a holiday like this, but for those who work in the security world, RSA is not a conference you can…  [Read More]

I Bet Health Insurers Would Gladly Cover Suicide Pills

by Bill Brenner February 13, 2012 Depression

The Catholic Church is bringing out its heavy artillery to fight a Massachusetts ballot initiative that, if passed, would allow doctors to prescribe lethal pills to terminally-ill patients that want to be put out of their misery. I’m with the church on this one. Mood music: Boston Globe columnist Scot Lehigh describes this quite nicely: An initiative petition to legalize physician-assisted suicide has been certified by Attorney General Martha Coakley. If backers collect enough signatures, and…  [Read More]

In Defense Of Wolfgang Van Halen

by Bill Brenner February 12, 2012 Children's issues

With a new Van Halen album out, everyone has an opinion. Fine by me, because I have mine. But one writer has taken his displeasure over bassist Wolfgang Van Halen to levels that earn him a smack to the back of the head. Mood music: When you question quality of the songwriting and musicianship, it’s all well and good. If you’re a music critic, that’s your job. But Martin Cizmar, former music critic at Phoenix New Times (he’s now…  [Read More]

RIP: Whitney Houston

by Bill Brenner February 12, 2012 Addiction

As a rocker kid in the 1980s and 90s, I never really liked Whitney Houston. I always respected her talent and she seemed like a decent person, but that was it. Mood music: Whitney at her best… http://youtu.be/5jeUINzHK9o But I had kept track of reports in recent years about the drug use, the family dysfunction and the fall from musical grace, and it always made me sad. Everyone has a demon or 10 to fight….  [Read More]

Sorry, But You’re Wrong

by Bill Brenner February 9, 2012 Adventures in writing

I got a lot of response to yesterday’s post about possibly killing this blog (Thanks for all the support!). Everyone asked that I continue, but supported my idea of expanding the topics. I still have decisions to make, but y’all gave me some great ideas on how to take this forward. I did get one message to the contrary, though. And because I disagree with the writer’s point, I’m going to share it with you….  [Read More]

Screw You, Cardinal Egan

by Bill Brenner February 8, 2012 Faith

As a devout Catholic, I am outraged by Retired New York Cardinal Edward Egan’s “regrets” about apologizing for the priest sex abuse scandal. Here is a man who thinks the Church “did nothing wrong” in how it handled the crisis. Mood music: Countless children were sexually molested by men who had vowed to serve God. The Catholic Church decided to cover it up and move pedophile priests to other parishes where they could prey on others,…  [Read More]

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